In recent times, carpet has been used both indoors and outdoors. Such carpeting is usually fabricated from synthetic or man-made materials to prevent staining, increase its ability to wear and reduce its cost.
Many synthetic carpets are now being installed in the form of modular carpet tiles, of about eighteen inches square, that are adhered by pressure-sensitive, sticky-back adhesives. These tiles can be quickly pressed into place upon the floor. They also provide easy access to the floor below, such as when electrical outlets need be located under the carpet.
Modular tiles have the advantages of reduced cost both in fabrication and installation, and have become very popular for applications where there is high traffic, or where repairs and/or replacement are often required.
While modular carpet tiles are very useful in the aforementioned situations, they present various disadvantageous:
a) modular carpet tiles show their demarcation lines, and do not provide the smooth flowing appearance of a broadloom carpet; PA1 b) if patterns are set in the pile, replacement tiles will not match when repairs are made, or when the tiles are removed and replaced. The mating edges of a cut do not mechanically conform to their contiguous surfaces and the patterns do not align.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a carpet that further reduces the cost of tile carpets but maintains the installation convenience of the modular tile. The invention also provides the beauty characteristics of a broadloom, while improving the dimensional stability of a broadloom or tile product.